Ur-Dragon vs Gishath vs Vial / Ikra vs Karametra EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Gishath, Sun's Avatar

  A dinosaur tribal deck focused on dealing combat damage to cascade into putting multiple dinosaurs onto the battlefield, rapidly increasing board presence and overwhelming opponents.

• 

  The Ur-Dragon

  A dragon tribal ramp deck aiming to cheat large dragons into play using the commander's ability, building a massive flying army to dominate the battlefield.

• 

  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

  A lifegain and control deck that uses damage prevention and board stabilization to outlast opponents, leveraging lifegain triggers and attrition to win.

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  An aggressive, damage-focused deck that uses random damage distribution and political pressure to disrupt opponents and chip away at their life totals.

• 

  Karametra, God of Harvests

  A ramp and value deck focused on accelerating mana production, deploying efficient creatures, and using enchantments to maintain board control and generate advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The Ur-Dragon player leveraged a key moment after a board wipe to deploy multiple dragons in one turn, swinging the game’s momentum.

• 2

  Gishath's combat damage triggers were pivotal in flooding the board with dinosaurs, creating a constant threat that needed immediate answers.

• 3

  Ikra Shidiqi’s lifegain and damage prevention allowed stabilization during aggressive phases, extending the game into late turns.

• 4

  Vial Smasher’s random damage output created unpredictable pressure, forcing opponents to adapt their strategies.

• 5

  Karametra's ramp and value plays ensured steady mana development, allowing deployment of impactful creatures and timely removal.

Notable Cards

• 

  Gishath, Sun's Avatar

• 

  The Ur-Dragon

• 

  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

• 

  Karametra, God of Harvests

Summary

The game featured a dynamic five-player battle with decks led by some of Magic: The Gathering's most iconic commanders. Early gameplay saw players developing their boards with ramp and creatures, while the Gishath, Sun's Avatar deck aggressively pushed dinosaur tribal synergies, leveraging combat damage triggers to flood the battlefield with powerful creatures. The Ur-Dragon deck aimed to assemble a formidable dragon army, using its commander to cheat dragons into play and overwhelm opponents. Meanwhile, Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper's deck focused on lifegain and controlling the board through attrition, while Vial Smasher the Fierce applied pressure through efficient damage dealing and political manipulation. Karametra, God of Harvests' deck played a strong ramp and value-oriented game, accelerating mana and deploying impactful creatures to gain advantage. Key turning points included a well-timed board wipe that reset the aggressive dinosaur and dragon rush, allowing Ikra's lifegain strategy to stabilize the game. The Ur-Dragon player capitalized on this moment to deploy multiple dragons in a single turn, swinging the momentum back in their favor. In the late game, Gishath's ability to explode onto the battlefield with numerous dinosaurs threatened to end the game quickly, but a combination of removal and tactical plays from Karametra and Vial Smasher kept the board in check. Ultimately, the game revolved around managing board presence and leveraging each commander's unique strengths, with the Ur-Dragon's overwhelming dragon army posing the most consistent win condition throughout the match.